SHOWTIME

CONNECTING VIRTUALLY

AIMExpo CONNECT Trade Show

L“ ast year, the industry faced what seemed like insurmountable hurdles, but we came together and pushed through,” said Motorcycle Industry Council

President and CEO Erik Pritchard in his opening remarks for the AIMExpo CONNECT virtual trade show. “Then we saw some welcome surprises, like the surge of interest in powersports.” That surge, combined with the odd cocktail of

COVID protocols at the National and State levels, changed the way we do business, but not our industry’s priorities.

“Now, the industry is focused on continuing the remarkable momentum into and beyond 2021, with the goal of more riders, riding more,” he noted. “So with that, we’re going to start the year off right with AIMExpo CONNECT presented by Dairyland Cycle Insurance. We have a packed virtual show floor with more than 60 exhibitors, two days of education for dealers and more.”

The focus on the future and need to get more riders was augmented by the MIC Gas Tank Competition — basically our industry version of TV’s Shark Tank — where powersports entrepreneurs battle for a cash prize. Unlike TV however, MIC provided mentors to assist the innovators in getting their concepts ready for prime time (see “Jumping The Shark” on page 52). “We set our bar high and are looking forward to the challenges and opportunities ahead,” added Pritchard. The need for the show to go on in a post-pandemic world seemed to resonate with the more than 300 dealers who participated on both the virtual show floor and enrolled in the “Profit Solutions” educational tracks.

Between the dealers, distributors, manufacturers and suppliers, 86 exhibiting companies experienced nearly 13,000 virtual booth visits according to vice president and general manager of MIC Events, Cinnamon Kernes. “We knew people were hungry for a way to connect within the industry in a more meaningful way, and AIMExpo CONNECT offered the chance to do just that,” she said.

“We look forward to more opportunities to come together through our monthly MIC Symposium Series and more importantly, we’re looking ahead and planning for an inperson event taking place early 2022, so stay tuned!”

GAME CHANGER

One of the game changers Erik Pritchard specifically addressed during his opening remarks was the change in retail operations and the need for contactless transactions at the dealership level. One of the exhibitors and new MIC member EZRiderDemo has already addressed the needs and developed the technology to make it possible for customers to “Get The Key. Contact-Free.” But that is just the tip of the iceberg as the program combines

CRM functions, geo fencing, demo rides and a host of other very different ways of meeting customer needs in the face of the pandemic-driven changes.

“Let’s start with the ability for any dealer to offer demo rides in a contactless transition,” says Vince Denais, President/ Founder of EZRiderDemo. “Customers take demo rides for granted in the automotive world, but it is unheard of in the motorcycle space. With the pandemic driving a surge in new customers who are expecting that automotive-level experience we enable dealers to deliver demo rides at a local level.”

“Our market survey revealed that the motorcycle buying customer is very frustrated with the lack of available test rides,” adds Mike Shell, VP Dealer Development. “Unfortunately, 80% of powersports dealers have limited or no demo ride programs. Those that do are doing it “old school” with no technology tools. We strive to deliver this customer-centric experience through our seamless technology that allows the customer to qualify for the demo based on their driving record and riding history. We automate the process and make it ultra-easy to demo a motorcycle.”

The consumer can schedule a demo ride in realtime at the dealership, or days/weeks in advance from their home computer or phone. The motorcycle is then parked in the dealers “demo” parking area. The sanitized key is placed in a sanitized open tray for the rider to receive and return the key. The salesperson will then walk with the rider to the delivery area to answer any questions about the bikes features before the rider departs on the demo. Upon returning the rider will leave the bike in the demo area and return the key to the key bin. The salesperson will then answer all questions about how the rider enjoyed the bike, and if they would like to make a purchase today. Behind the scenes, the data acquisition functionality also acts as a CRM program. “You know the customers info, the bike(s) models and makes they want to demo, their driver’s license details and even how long they have to wait to get on a bike… All EZRiderDemo data is CRM compatible. “We procure and save all the riders data in their customer profile, including a photo of their driver’s license, address, email, phone, and even their riding history story,” explains Denais. “All of this data is then populated into the dealership’s dashboard for them to use as a sales tool for the lifetime buying cycle of the customer. Regarding credit app and closing the sale, our version 2.0 will allow dealers to electronically send customers a deal worksheet for their approval based upon their credit score.”

And this is just the beginning of the “dealership of the future” as the technology enables dealers to make transactions cleanly, cashless and touchless. “Future versions can also track the rider via phone GPS and offer demo “riding routes” for dealers to create, allowing for a better overall riding experience, understanding of the bike, and a smarter purchasing decision,” he concludes.

Miss seeing their virtual booth at the show? Click here:

https://www.ezriderdemo.com/

TOWN HALL MEETING

Allen, who has visited retailers across America during her career. “When you take people like us who are in dealers every single day, we just bring a different level of knowledge and experience. We’re there firsthand, we hear their frustrations. So I really want to bring that to the board.”

“There are those dealers that are really trying – it’s almost blatantly obvious when you walk in,” Calhoun said. “There’s just a buzz in the air and it feels great. I think we need to really look at how we’re compensating some of the employees in these dealerships as well, being very, very honest in that. (Last year) we lost some talent and some of it will never come back. And I’m not saying you gotta break the bank, but I think that incentivizing people to sell, incentivizing them to be excited and walk people out to stuff, creating that hand-off, and that experience, is very, very important.”

“There’s 7,000+ dealers in the country,” Lopusnak said. “Join the MIC. Get involved. Just think of the strength that we could have. The impact would be unbelievable. When you look at some of the competitive organizations that are out there, RV, boating… they’re super strong and dealers are very, very, involved. There’s no more passionate people than a motorcycle dealer, but we gotta get them involved, we gotta get them out, speaking the same language, pushing for the same thing. We need everybody to get involved, every piece of our industry, to work together.”

Vitrano concluded the MIC’s top strategic priorities and what it must accomplish. “Number one and number two are ridership,” he said. “We can’t put more emphasis on it than we have. We’ve been putting a lot of work into it. We’re in the execution phase now. So that’s certainly the top priority.”

Five members of the MIC Board of Directors opened up about a number of hot powersports topics on day one of AIMExpo CONNECT. The board members discussed better ways of engaging customers, opportunities for dealerships, MIC priorities, and the need to drive association membership. MIC Board

Chair Paul Vitrano of Indian Motorcycle and Polaris

Inc., Secretary/Treasurer Jim Woodruff of National

Powersport Auctions, and Directors Rod Lopusnak of

Triumph Motorcycles America, Tim Calhoun of Quin

Design Helmets and Nicole Allen of Akrapovic, shared their thoughts.

“The more that we, as an industry, can be in-tune with that desire of consumers to have experiences, and treat it as such, versus simply transactions – we can keep this thing going,” Woodruff said. He believes that many experience-seeking consumers of the past year were not seeking a specific-horsepower vehicle with certain specifications. “They just wanted to get out and ride,” Woodruff said. “Understanding this is critical going forward.”

“It’s not just with products,” added Allen. “It’s with customizing experiences. When someone goes into a dealership, they want a customized experience that caters to their needs.” Dealerships were recognized as a key factor in continuing the industry’s success of 2020. “I kind of want to be the voice of dealerships as well,” said

The Profit Solutions Education Track was free for all AIMExpo CONNECT attendees. “It’s more important than ever to make sure you get the most out of every sale,” according to Andre Albert, Director, Sales and Marketing MIC Events. “AIMExpo CONNECT presented by Dairyland’s Profit Solutions Education Track offered four free sessions that helped participants maximize profits.

“Recognizing opportunities to educate your customer throughout their buying journey, making the most of the F&I experience, and taking advantage of markets you may not have considered are all tools presented to fuel your dealership’s growth.”

The educational track started on Thursday, January 21 and ran through Friday, January 22, however the virtual show floor was held open until the second week of February for registered attendees to follow-up at their convenience.

The “I” in F&I — Protecting Your Sale Presenter: Jason Millar, Senior Director of Business Development for Dairyland®

Enhance your customers’ experiences, secure your sales, and drive more revenue to your store by leveraging a better understanding of Insurance — the “I” in the F&I process. Gain practical industry expertise and insights that you can apply to your dealership’s process today.

Unlocking The Secrets Of Processing Cost, Risk & Compliance Presenter: Gene Lydick, Senior Vice President of Sales, MIC Bankcard

Learn from and ask questions to a 25-year veteran of the payment processing industry and a 25-year veteran of the motorcycle industry. Gene Lydick, with the MIC BankCard Program, has seen and heard just about everything you can think of as it relates to payment processing within a motorcycle dealership: Can Visa and MasterCard force me to pay their high rates? How do credit cards get hacked, and is my dealership at risk? How do I win the chargeback game every time? Why do businesses pay different rates to process credit cards? Is that legal?

Increase Operating Profits With Early Education & Engagement Presenter: Jim Jabbay, Vice President Specialty, SpinCar

The most progressive dealerships are enhancing their backend profits with three key principles of effective merchandising: Educate and Engage – EARLY. Shoppers want to understand F&I options to make an educated decision about the products that are right for them. (Fact: 89% of consumers would be more interested in meeting with an F&I manager after learning about available products on a dealer’s website.) We’ll also show you digital merchandising best practices that can significantly boost the performance, engagement, and conversion rates of your dealership’s VDPs while making your inventory stand out from the competition.

The Importance Of Subprime Market Share Presenter: Ben Bonnarumma, President, American Cycle Finance

The subprime market serves consumers who have limited or questionable credit histories, but don’t overlook the importance of this consumer base. This workshop will help you understand the subprime market and how to capture that market share while increasing the profitability of your dealership.

JUMPING THE SHARK

Afavorite part of previous AIMExpos has been the MIC Gas Tank competition, an offshoot of the original PowerLily program back in the day. Over time the program has expanded from a women’s outreach program to encompass all powersports entrepreneurs. Brake Free Technologies, led by Alex Arkhangelskiy and Henry Li, won the 2020-2021 MIC Gas Tank Competition, held live online, on day two of AIMExpo CONNECT presented by Dairyland. Motorcycle Safety Foundation VP Rob Gladden served as the host for the competition.

After all five Gas Tank finalists presented their business plans, Brake Free claimed the $1,000 Industry’s Choice Award – with votes from the audience – for developing its helmet-mounted, high-tech safety light. Then the MIC’s panel of industry veteran judges awarded the firm another $1,000 as the overall Gas Tank winner. The Brake Free team had already been recent winners on national television securing $200,000 for a 20-percent stake, from Mark Cuban and Robert Herjavec, celebrity investors on ABC’s “Shark Tank” show.

SportBike Chic, the women’s riding apparel company represented by Sean Rucker, took second place. Electric dirtbike manufacturer Hare Motorcycles, represented by Steven Harter, came in third.

“Congrats to all of the top five contestants,” Arkhangelskiy said. “I know how hard you guys have worked to get here. And entrepreneurship is hard and we need all the help we can get, so a huge thanks to everyone at MIC, everyone that made this contest possible. Thank you to all the judges and definitely all the mentors. A special thanks to Jayson Wickenkamp (of Fox Racing). He’s our mentor... one of the best parts about being part of this competition is being paired up with him.”

Of the second-place competitor, SportBike Chic, Judge and MIC Board member Nicole Allen said, “Obviously, you’re hitting that niche market. We’ve got so many women riders coming into this industry and we want them to feel safe and comfortable, and I love that you have this great product offering. You’ve got a lot of cheerleaders behind you and we felt that you deserved that positioning.” Congratulating Hare Motorcycles for taking third, Allen added, “We chose you as our third-place contestant because electrification... is something that’s coming in the industry and we have to pay attention to it. Also, you’ve got those customizable features, so good luck to you guys. We think you did a great job.”

Rounding out the five Gas Tank finalists were Street Skills (with mentor Walt Fulton of Streetmasters) and Lawson AWD (with mentor Jim Kirkland, an industry veteran). Even though he didn’t take the top prize finalist “I look forward to making connections with leaders in the motorcycle industry who have a firm understanding of the relevant issues and trends related to motorcycling,” said Gas Tank finalist Jon DelVecchio at Street Skills LLC who felt he was a winner. “The MIC Gas Tank program is valuable to the growth of my Cornering Confidence training program because the MIC is the motorcycle industry. I was inspired after hearing previous Gas Tank winners describe their experience on a motorcycling podcast.”

Dealers Bob Althoff of Farrow Harley-Davidson and Kim Harrison of Coleman PowerSports served as Gas Tank judges, along with Allen.